Survey: Standards of Living Will Lower in Retirement

While the majority of Americans aren’t saving enough for retirement, only one in three expect that their standard of living will decrease once they leave the workforce.

A new report from the nonprofit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies finds that 41% of workers think their lifestyle will stay the same in retirement. Seventeen percent of respondents expect their lifestyle to decrease, and 9% are unsure of what will happen.

The survey questioned 4,143 full and part-time workers.

The Great Recession impacted nearly all workers, the report finds, but five years later 58% say they are financially recovering.

The survey also finds Americans staying in the workforce longer, with 65% of baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) planning to work past age 65. Some don’t even plan to retire at all because they want the income and health benefits, Transamerica reports.

Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1978 are the “401(k) Generation” according to the report, with more than half (52%) saying they plan to fund their own retirement. This generation entered the workforce in the late 1980s and were among the first to take advantage of 401(k)s.